Taxi Driver Online

RTC means round the corner, obviously. Could add another letter in there, as is often the case, but don't want to lower the tone

But slightly different to the normal Christmas warnings from councils about the dangers of fake taxis etc...


North Herts Council crackdown on taxi refusals to keep women safer this Christmas

https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/news/nor ... -christmas

North Herts Council has launched a festive safeguarding operation to ensure women and girls are not left vulnerable when using taxis at night-time.

On Wednesday, December 10, Licensing and Community Safety officers, supported by community volunteers, conducted an operation at Hitchin Railway Station to check whether taxi drivers were complying with licence conditions and codes of practice. As part of the operation, a lone female – representing a potentially vulnerable passenger – approached taxis at the rank during peak evening hours and requested a short journey within the minimum fare distance.

While longer fares may be more profitable, drivers are required under their licence conditions to accept such fares. Of seven taxis approached between 7pm and 9pm, all accepted the fare, but as a result of the operation, two drivers have received additional guidance on safeguarding and how to support vulnerable passengers.

This proactive approach helps ensure drivers understand their responsibilities and reinforces the importance of passenger safety in the night-time economy.

Cllr Mick Debenham, Executive Member for Regulatory, said:

“Keeping people safe in our night-time economy is a top priority for North Herts Council. Taxi drivers have a clear responsibility under their licence conditions to accept short fares and refusing them can leave passengers vulnerable.

“This operation sends a clear message that safeguarding is non-negotiable, and we will take action against those who fail to comply.”

North Herts Council will continue working with partners and the community to tackle violence against women and girls and ensure the night-time economy is safe for everyone. For more information, please visit: Women and Girls Safety Charter

Wonder how they did all this?

I wonder if it was all a bit obvious that it was a set-up, or if word soon got round the ranks what was going on


Wonder what that was all about? Drivers accepted the fare, but not sufficiently happy clappy about it?

So all seven passed the test, but the council, no doubt desperate to justify the extra enforcement costs, decided to have a pop at a couple nonetheless.

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IDFIMH

Well I'm always banging on about how the press often reframes council press releases, or whatever, but there's self-evident misinformation or disinformation here.

So either the council or the press is putting out misleading stuff, but not clear which. I checked the council's press release again, but it hasn't changed


Two taxi drivers refused short fare requests in Hitchin

https://www.thecomet.net/news/25710125. ... s-hitchin/

Two taxi drivers refused a short fare during a nighttime safety operation designed to protect women and girls in North Herts.

The operation, carried out by North Herts Council on December 10 at Hitchin Railway Station, involved a lone female requesting short journeys within the minimum fare distance.

Two out of seven drivers approached between 7pm and 9pm refused the fare.

Mick Debenham, executive member for Regulatory at North Herts Council, said: "Keeping people safe in our night-time economy is a top priority for North Herts Council.

"Taxi drivers have a clear responsibility under their licence conditions to accept short fares and refusing them can leave passengers vulnerable.

"This operation sends a clear message that safeguarding is non-negotiable, and we will take action against those who fail to comply."

The council has recorded the details of the drivers who refused the fares and will now consider enforcement action.

This could include penalty points, licence suspension or revocation, or prosecution.

The campaign is part of the council’s wider commitment to reducing violence against women and girls and making the night-time economy safer for everyone.

The full Women and Girls Safety Charter is available on the North Herts Council website.

Funny, too, the way the possible specific 'enforcement action' which could be taken is outlined so precisely - reads like the kind of thing that would come from the council, as opposed to a journo writing it themselves

If there were two that refused, then they deserve to have action taken against them.

But it would be nice if the council and the local press could actually get their stories agreed.

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IDFIMH

The Comet has changed the paragraph mid-article so that it now concurs with the council's news release

Problem is, they've left the headline and a couple of other passages specifically saying that two drivers had refused fares.

So now the article on its own doesn't make sense, never mind when comparing it to the council's press release

https://www.thecomet.net/news/25710125. ... s-hitchin/

And it's also in the URL